State transportation workers completed installation of 400 signs along I-35 and Loop 410 last week, designed to help drivers coming from south of San Antonio avoid congested downtown areas, department officials said.

The signs, which direct traffic to the SH 130 toll road, are part of a series of long-term Texas Department of Transportation projects to improve the flow on I-35 and 410 corridors. With speed limits as high as 85 mph and three lanes in both directions, SH 130 — reached by skirting the downtown S.A. area on 410 — has been billed by TxDOT as the most efficient way to travel between South Texas and northern destinations such as Austin, Dallas and Oklahoma City.

“For those who aren't familiar with the area, who are traveling from south of San Antonio on those long trips— even from the border — this is the best way to avoid those trouble spots in S.A., San Marcos or Austin,” said Meghan Compton, SH130 Concession Co. representative. “That stretch of I-35, from San Antonio to Austin, is one of the most congested corridors in Texas.”

TxDOT spokeswoman Veronica Beyer said that having the signs is just the first step toward dealing with congestion on I-35 and 410 during peak hours of travel.

“If we can give people a choice (of road), we can cut down on the number of accidents, time spent on the roads and wear,” Beyer explained. “The signs are going to help this almost immediately.”

SH 130, which opened in October 2012, brought in $2.6 million in revenue and saw more than 200,000 motorists use the road as of May 2013, the last month statistics were released. The road's toll averages 12 cents per mile.